India will assume the year-long presidency of the G20 starting from Thursday which will see the nation initiate efforts to tackle global issues like economic slowdown and climate crisis. India will host the G-20 leaders' summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 in 2023 under its Presidency.
As part of the celebrations, 100 centrally-protected monuments will be lit up for a week and bear the G20 logo. These include
Humayun's Tomb and Purana Quila in Delhi to Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha to Sher Shah Suri's Tomb in Bihar.
Other sites which will be illuminated include Metcalfe Hall and Currency Building in Kolkata, Nalanda university ruins and ancient structures and other monuments at Rajgir in Bihar, Basilica of Bom Jesus and Church of Lady of Rosary in Goa, Tipu Sultan's Palace and the Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, and Sanchi Buddhist monuments and Gawlior Fort in Madhya Pradesh.
These illuminated structures will also highlight the G-20 logo over the monument. "The size of the logo projected on the monuments will depend on the nature and design of the site. At Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fathepur Sikri -- all three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the logo will be projected on a unipole installed near the sites," an official told PTI.
More than 200 meetings will be held in India across 55 locations, the first, G20 Sherpa meet, being in Udaipur during the first week of December. The meetings will take place in less explored parts of the country at very exotic locations.
Besides, high-level dignitaries and delegates will visit these centrally-protected monuments.
"lt has been decided by the Government of India to utilise this opportunity to highlight our monuments as part of a brand and publicity plan of G20 at ASI-protected monuments and sites with special focus on sites in the UNESCO World Heritage list," according to a memorandum issued recently by the ASI.
As part of the event, India will kick off with celebrations at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also envisioned not limiting the G-20 to major urban cities so that India's rich and diverse cultural landscape also shares the spotlight.
